Many institutions such as hospitals, physical therapy centers, schools and the like house and accommodate a number of individuals having certain disabilities, some of which hinder the person's ability to walk, sit or stand erect. For instance, a muscular-related disorder caused by muscular dystrophy or a stroke may greatly hinder a person's ability to stand erect or walk, particularly while he or she is residing at an institution for treatment or being schooled in an educational setting. Given the person's muscular incapacities, a number of mechanical devices have been developed and used over the years to assist in positioning and moving the muscular-incapacitated person or patient for treatment. Some of these mechanical devices are particularly suited to lift the patient in a stationary, upright position for bedside treatment, and yet in other cases to lift and situate the patient in a mobile device, such as a wheelchair, for relocation within the institution, perhaps for administration of non-bedside treatments. Prior art devices of more advanced nature typically comprise a hoist of the type having an outwardly extending boom which centers above the patient and a crank selectively mounted to a vertical support which provides means to lift and lower the patient in a variety of positions for treatment or transport. The use of such device may involve the patient being fitted with a series of straps which are positionally networked over the patient's body, with one of the straps generally being equipped with a hook having capabilities to attach to an outer extending portion of the boom. After attachment of the straps and at the moment of lifting, the patient's body generally becomes configurably cradled until which time the patient is re-situated in a chair or bed. Other prior art means to lift and lower a muscular-incapacitated person are more simplistic in nature and would comprise simply of a health care worker or workers selectively positioning his or her arms about the disabled person's body, specifically near the upper torso, and lifting he or she with coordinated leg and arm movement. As one can imagine the execution of such technique may cause injury to both the disabled person and health care worker since it relies on most part on the strength and efficiency of the health care worker, and may become increasingly more difficult where the disabled person is unable to assist in any way to lift and guide oneself for purposes of either walking or standing erect. Other prior art devices, particularly those that tend to fall within the spectrum of a mechanical hoisting device and more primitive means of lifting with arms and legs, may comprise a harness of the type that can be fitted onto a disabled child or small adult and a health care assistant, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,991 issued to Gougeon. This type of device, which completely suspends the person above the ground, generally weighing 100 pounds or less, alleviates the extent of muscular strength needed to lift and support the disabled person as a result of the straps being strategically fitted about the wearer insofar to distribute the weight more evenly thereabout. Although the relevant art comprises a broad range of person-assisting devices, most, however, are directed to a specific patient activity, generally to either lifting the patient from an at-rest position, suspending the patient above the ground for a short duration, or supporting the patient while he or she engages in the activity of walking, such as a grab-bar walker of the type commonly known in the art.
In accordance with the present invention, applicant has appreciably devised a multipurpose harness assembly which can be comfortably worn on both the disabled person and health care worker to assist in lifting the disabled person in an upright orientation, generally for the purpose of administrating treatment at a health care institution or preparing for transport therewithin or to a classroom in an educational setting. Furthermore, the present invention effectively serves as means to assist the health care worker or assistant in guiding and supporting the disabled person or patient as he or she proceeds to engage in the activity of walking, sitting or standing erect in a stationary position.